The Duffel bag,
by Coco de popie
Summary: What would you do if something wonderful fell into your laps? even if its not yours for the taking....Paddy and seamus are homeless, but maybe not for long..Inspired by wishes...


The Duffel bag,

"Get out of here you beggar!" someone was edging the door against my back. "Go on shift your self!" I got up from the doorway where I lay half concealed, collected my belongings and moved on.

I walked over to Mc Donald's with my 2 euro from begging last night. As I walked into the fast food restaurant I saw children with their parents having breakfast together, I restrained from self pity and walked up to the counter.

She looked me up and down as if I was worthless. "What will it be?" "Em…" I struggled to think what to get. "Come on, come on I don't have all day." she was acting snobbish as if to say she was better than me. "all yea bums are the same." she meant to say it under her breath, but I herd her. "Em, can I have… a double cheese burger." She rolled her eyes and said "2 euro" then spun around to the cook and gave him the order. Within seconds I had my breakfast, I walked out of there and headed for the benches by the train station, to eat my first meal of the day.

"Hey Seamus over 'ere!" I looked around to see Paddy already sitting on the bench with a packet of crisps. "Seamus boy, how are you this fine morning." Paddy was another unfortunate soul like me, he ran away when he was eleven because… well he never told me why but now he has to beg everyday just to survive. "Grand, but I got woken up early 'coz your man who owns the place told me to push off." He gave me a cheeky grin "Well you should teach him a lesson." Paddy was mostly known in this city because his name was in graffiti everywhere. "No, I don't think I can handle another chase from the law." I knew if I'd have said yes there would be hell to pay. "fine suit your self." Paddy lit up a crusty old butt of a cigarette, took a pull and looked at me. "So what are we going to do today?" I answered "Dunno, beg then maybe go to the cinema?" "No, we do that nearly everyday." A man threw a burnt out cigerette at us by mistake. Paddy rose from his seat picked up the cigarette held it high in the air and shouted "Hey watch it ." the man kept walking, We followed him looking for trouble when we came across a duffel bag, lying half concealed behind a rubbish bin.

Paddy grabbed the duffel bag. Our hearts racing we ran outside behind a bush. I asked paddy "what do you thinks in it?" "Dunno Seamus boy, but lets find out." I looked around to check if the coast was clear and it was, then nodded to Paddy. He pulled on the zipper and gently opened it as if he was unzipping a small, child's coat. We couldn't believe our eyes at the sight of what we had found. "How much do you thinks there?" After asking this question I wondered if Paddy could even count. Paddy stared at the bag then answered "I dunno, about ten grand." We both jumped into the air and sang "Were rich, were rich!!!"

We took some money out and zipped up the bag again and hid it behind a bush. "Were are we off to Seamus?" I never had the opportunity to do something like this. I was thrilled of course we couldn't wait so we rushed off over the bridge and down by Merchants Quay. We walked in like millionaires knowing we could afford anything we wanted. Unfortunately we were still wearing our tatty old clothes so we got followed around as usual. We were as happy as a little child on their 4th birthday when it came to paying for the items; new runners, socks, a full tracksuit and matching baseball hat. It didn't even bother us when the woman at the till held the money up to the light to see if it was real. We walked out of the shop and looked at our reflections in the window. Boy, we looked like normal kids. Even though it felt great to seem finally accepted, somehow I wondered whether what we did was right? Would this money really make everything better in our lives? I imagined myself losing the duffle bag full of money and began to feel guilty…

We went in search of a place for a very good and expensive meal, but we ended up outside Mc Donald's. That snobbish girl was still working behind the counter I walked up to place my order, she smiled and said "May I take your order please" I grinned at her "Everything on the menu." She gave me a strange look "What?" I looked at her name tag, _Glenda_. "You heard me Glenda everything on the menu." Paddy gave me a nudge "Sorry make that two of everything"

We sat impatiently while waiting for the food, every two minutes or so we'd say "Hurry up Glenda! or Shake a leg woman!" We laughed and laughed. It was the first time in a long while I was full after eating something. We stumbled out of Mc Donald's with our stomachs ready to burst. At about 8 o' clock we walked back over the bridge singing like mad people all the way to the train station. We walked over to the bushes but when we got there the Duffle bag was gone. All that was left was a note and a 50 euro note, the note read _"Thanks guys for minding my money, I hope the money you took was spent wisely and made up for the cigarette I threw at yea by mistake. P.S: Here's a little something extra to treat yourselves with." _We were stunned. Sure, I was sad but I'll never forget the best day of my life. I finally felt like a real kid, even if it was just for one day_. Money isn't everything although it is fun spending it. _


End file.
